2013 | BARTLAW LLP Canadian Immigration

31 Dec 2013

New Employer Requirements for LMO-Based Work Permits Become Law December 31, 2013

Starting December 31, 2013, various amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) come into force, in addition to new Ministerial Instructions issued by the Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) which impose additional obligations on employers under the LMO-based Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

14 Nov 2013

New Permanent Residence Caps and Occupational Restrictions under the Canada Experience Category Announced

On November 8, 2013, the Harper Government announced that a maximum of 12,000 new permanent residence applications in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) will be considered for processing each year. Under the CEC application process, the applicant must have claimed at least 12 months of work experience

27 Sep 2013

Foreign Service Workers To Return To Full Time Work At Canadian Visa Offices

Canada’s foreign service has reached a deal on a new contract with the federal government, ending a lengthy dispute and rotating strikes that have created an extensive backlog to visa processing and other consular services abroad. The government agreed to increase base pay for senior ranks of the foreign service

29 Aug 2013

Four New Developments in Canadian Immigration Law

Chris Alexander is Canada’s new Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. He replaces Jason Kenney, who is the new Minister of Employment and Social Development (formerly Human Resources and Skills Development). Mr. Alexander, who was elected to the House of Commons for the riding of Ajax-Pickering in 2011

13 Jun 2013

Reduction of the Maximum Age of Sponsorship

On May 17, 2013, the Canadian government announced that the maximum age of dependents will be set at 18 years of age under all immigration programs. Previously the maximum age was 22 years and if the dependent continued in full time school after the age of 22 years, they could continue to be sponsored to Canada

13 Jun 2013

Four Year Maximum Work Permit Duration

On April 1, 2011, the cumulative duration of work permits issued under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) was reduced to a four year maximum. The government’s primary goal in enacting this law was to prevent foreign workers who are working temporarily in Canada

12 Jun 2013

On-Site Investigations of Employers and Foreign Worker Audits

On June 8, 2013, the government announced new regulations under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which would require employers who have hired foreign workers to maintain foreign worker records for a period of six years to demonstrate compliance with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

10 May 2013

Changes to the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program

On May 10th, 2013, Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced the reopening of the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program starting January 2, 2014. Whilst the quota of intake applications will be extremely low, at 5,000 applications in total for the first year, it is a step forward from the suspension of this valuable and important immigration program in 2011.

30 Apr 2013

Significant Changes to the Canadian Temporary Foreign Worker Program Announced Yesterday

On April 29, 2013, the Canadian government announced reforms to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) as a result of the recent TFWP abuses that have been highlighted by the media over the course of the past two months. Although it is evident that Canada requires foreign talent

23 Apr 2013

New Federal Skilled Worker Program: Occupations and Caps Unveiled

Citizenship and Immigration Canada has announced a list of 24 qualifying occupations for the new Federal Skilled Worker Program. The list includes various engineering occupations, certain medical and computer professionals, and a number of other occupations listed below.

12 Apr 2013

Canada Opens a New Immigration Category Pilot: The Start Up Business Class Immigration Program

After announcing the creation of a new type of entrepreneur application process in 2012, on March 30, 2013, Citizenship and Immigration Canada ( “CIC”) changed the law and policy in Canada to implement the Start-Up Business Class, which is currently in a Pilot (ie. test) format subject to further CIC assessment.

8 Mar 2013

International Women’s Day: A Reason to Celebrate and to Reflect

The past five decades have brought meaningful legal improvements into the lives of many women in the world. At our office, we have been discussing how fortunate we are to live in Canada and enjoy the constitutional entrenchment of gender equality and the rule of law.

27 Feb 2013

Immigration Alert: Canadian Permanent Residence Application Categories Now Open

Foreign workers seeking to apply for permanent residence to Canada may now do so based on three new categories. Some of these permanent residence categories have caps and restricted occupations, such as the new Federal Skilled Trades Class and the Skilled Worker Class. For example, the Federal Skilled Trades Class only accepts up to 100 applicants

21 Jan 2013

Canada’s New Immigration Rules 2013

Canada’s efforts to counteract an ageing population and the need for young skilled workers has led to a re-evaluation of the Federal Skilled Worker program and the introduction of new immigration rules by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC”). The FSW program has been in suspension since July 1, 2012

Year: 2013